951and944S

Thanks Sam, after my own Guards salvage rescue/restore, then Scott's Arena and my son's Coral Red 944S, I thought I'd had enough for a while.

Found out though that I need an ongoing project to keep me sane.

Off to Sebring in a couple of weekends to support a few local 944 racers that made the entry list but I still do the USGP every year.

Maybe we can synch up this year....

TS

951and944S

Thanks David, your lightened one looks just like the one they cut for me today.

I had left a little meat on the first one like earlier explained, concerned that the extra strength of the Spec PP coupled with the pull design of the clutch release would cause issues.

This second one is only a stock PP with the 930 disc being it's just a 2.5 liter and the car is very light.

If you didn't have cracking, etc. then I shouldn't be concerned...

I was thinking of installing a shield to protect my feet/legs around the interior's sheet metal hump in case the flywheel failed.

Thanks again....

TS

Duke

Very nice. A newly painted bare metal interior like that is just awesome

87_944s

Looks pretty good if I do say so myself...i can do that cant I ?
Eon S.

Ski

It's past your bedtime...have you done your homework?

Yes you're allowed and your car still looks as good as Dads.

M758

I completely agree. That is alot of work and all that is going is a crappy autopower cage.

If you stripped it down like that it would have been PERFECT to put in a nice custom one. It need not be superfancy with tons of extra bars, but a soild simple base cage. With that one could add in more as needed. With the autopower one you are stuck with a rather ok cage. Ok is fine if you are just stuffing in a cage quick, but given all that work I just don't get it.

951and944S

Hey Joe, is this cage not PCA approved and do you believe PCA safety requirements are lacking...?

How many Autopower roll cage failures would it take for PCA to ban a faulty cage....?

Where are the documented hole punctures in floors and sheared bolts, got any pics...?

Do you believe a simple roll bar is safe for DEs..?

This car's gonna see at least a year of DEs, schooling and casual group track days, I didn't want to trust just a roll bar.


TS

Antonio

The Autopower cage is fine. Not as good a top end custom built by a reputable builder, but still fine. It is interesing to watch how many cars being SCCA tech'd for the first time and failing inspection because of cage issues. I remember a last year a fellow in a newly bult great looking RX7 failing inspection because the wrong type of tubing was used to buld the cage. He was furious but none the less he was sent packing. Autopower cages usually sail through tech. They've have been making cages for years. They know what they're doing.

tifosiman

Is that a 3-pc LeMans wing? I've only seen the 1 piece ones. I like the fact that it is 3 pieces like the factory 944 wing. Care to share where the rest of us can get one for, and how much?

M758

I know many cars with Autopower cages. They are OK. I was surprized since 99% of the time when I see a car stripped and prepped like that it has custom cage. I only see bolt-ins in lesser prepared cars. Seem very strange to do all that work and then put in an autopower. I consider a cage to be a foundation for the car and if you are doing a seriuous strip it down paint and rebuild then a full custom cage slots in rigth after you have finished the bare tub. Put in cage then paint.

951and944S

Tifo- I bought it through MSRoadrace, a company with 1600+ ebay transactions.
They have odd stuff on from time to time.
As far as I know it was the only one they had.
They had it described in the auction as the GT Racing part but it's not and I don't have the other pieces that go with it so I'm making an attempt at making my own surround pieces and trying to mold it to step down to the height of those.

If I decide to go with something else, I can fiberglass it back to original shape at the fronts and offer it to you cheap if you want to make a go of it.

TS

951and944S

Hi Joe, I understand and of course I'm not disagreeing that welding in even this particular cage may have benefits. The reason you see me going so far with the strip and paint is because I've got a little body/paint background and the interior fit and finish was just gonna be a given from the start.

Another note, most times you'll hear negative comments about bolt in cages is from safety gear sellers that want to sell you a $1500 cage so sure, some people will opt for higher quality cages from the recommendations of people who they trust to know their stuff.
But again, ask these sales reps for some examples of the Autopower cage failing as I described earlier and wait for a response on the phone or email........crickets....!

More on the point from an earlier post- if a new wheel company offered a super light weight wheel and many PCA car owners jumped on sets only to see them fail at high speeds, it wouldn't take very long for the club governing body to ban this wheel yet the Autopower cage has been around for decades.
IMO, the PCA authorities seem pretty quick to act just as recently authorizing aftermarket front wheel hubs when failures began to be reported.

I hear where you're coming from though, respect your opinion and your right to it.

Basically, I have a moderately modded 951, my son has a well suspensioned 944S.
We both are into fast driving and could easily find roads in my area to do just that but I'm building this car because I know (and want to teach my son) that the track is the place to wring out a car.
I gave him a certificate for a $350 high performance driving school for his 18th birthday and this car is the conduit to keep the focus on "fast driving on track only"....

*That* and to beat up on a few Vettes at my local track.....lol

Take care, and err, nice new paint job on the #94 Spec car....

TS

tifosiman

yes please! Let me know if you decide to ditch it, I'd be happy to mess with it.

ELLSSUU

Another pre-cleaning/priming/painting etc.

951and944S

Man, Eon's gonna kill you Scott....

You have any memory of those other batches of pics, you, Dean and I...?

TS